After the Mission
by thebestintheworld123
Summary: Tenten waits for her husband to come home from a deadly mission. When he arrives emotions run wild. What will happen to their relationship?


A/N: I do not own Naruto.

She stared at the clock. 4:30am it read. She didn't expect it to change much since she had looked at the thing a few minutes earlier. It was torture. Absolute torture. She had stayed up waiting for her husband to come home all night. If a gust of wind blew through and rustled the leaves her head would turn immediately to the window to try to catch a glimpse of him. Every time her hopes were shattered and every time she would go back to eying the clock, daring it to change. He had left for a mission over a month ago. Being an anbu she didn't doubt that the mission would take so long, but why must she wait? Her husband kept her occupied most of the time, but now...now she had to sit in the living room waiting for him to ease his bloodied body through the door.

Her thoughts were discarded as she heard the leaves rustle again. She paid no mind to it. Why should she? It happened so many times she lost hope that he was ever going to return. How wrong she was. The doorknob turned after the man outside had fiddled with the lock, trying desperately to get inside. He sluggishly walked in the house to find his wife anxiously sitting on their living room couch. He grinned at how childish she looked, her knees against her stomach while she clenched her legs closer to her with her hands. Her eyes began to tear up when she saw the scrapes, bruises, and blood scattered across his body. She looked past it long enough to run to him and hug him with all the strength she could muster.

"Why are you still awake?" He asked half jokingly

"That's not important. Your home and that's all I care about." She said as she released from the hug

"You need all the sleep you can get. I want our baby to be as healthy as possible when he arrives." He said rubbing her belly.

"Stop Neji," she replied with a blush, "I've only been pregnant for two months."

He kissed her, "I'd better get cleaned up."

He walked away from his beautiful wife toward the bathroom. The bloodstained cloths hardly bothered him anymore. It was the life he chose. Blood and battle was all he saw these days. He knows how much it frightens his wife to see him in such poor condition. She gave up being a ninja when they got married. She insisted on starting a family right away and in return, give up her life as a warrior. He sighed as he stripped his mask off of his head. The routine was to wash the mask and armor first, then hop in the shower to rinse the blood out of his hair and off of his skin.

As he finished putting his night cloths on, he walked to their bedroom knowing that she would be there waiting. She rose from the bed to go over his wounds. If she found anything severe enough, she would treat it the best way she knew how. He twitched a few times as she ran her fingers across the cuts. After he was patched up, they made their way to the bed and lay in each other's arms.

"Tenten?" he asked

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry you have to go through this. I know you hate seeing me after a mission. I will try my best to stay here and look after you through your pregnancy." He offered

She began to sob, "How could you leave me here Neji? The only thing that I think about is someone is going to open the front door, it will be some guy in some stupid anbu mask telling me you didn't make it! I hate it! I hate when you walk through the door. It's ... It's heartbreaking to see someone you love so much come home halfway dead. Do you know how I feel Neji?! Do you?!" She cried as Neji tried to sooth her by rubbing her back, "I know it's selfish of me to think that, but ... I can't handle it. You are the only thing I have. Do you know that?" She could bring herself to say anything else. The crying took over.

He planted kisses on the top of her head, "Shhhh, it's ok. I'm here Tenten. I'm right here." This conversation was nothing new. He had heard it countless times before.

She pulled him closer to her, "I don't want you to leave me. I know being an anbu is your dream, but I really wish it wasn't."

"I will be here for as long as you need me." He said trying to comfort her

"Don't say that. You don't know when you'll die ... neither do I." The tears began again, "I just don't want our child asking me 'Where's daddy?' when you ..." She was choked up. She couldn't continue talking the way she was.

It broke his heart seeing her like this. Every time he would return from a mission, this is what would happen. It made him feel awful. He lifted her chin so she looked him in the eyes. Then, he grabbed his mask from the side of the bed and held it up to her.

"Listen Tenten, I will return this. If having this puts you through this much pain, then I can live without it. My dream was to become an anbu, but now it is to start a family with you."

"No, I didn't mean for you to quit. Neji, please. Put it back." She said

He had to choose his words carefully. He did not want to upset his already emotional wife, "I'm not putting it back Tenten. I don't want to be responsible for your tears anymore. I am quitting."

She ran her finger against one of his half-healed scars. She didn't want to take his dream away. These scars are the result of his bravery in battle. She didn't want to take the pride from him.

"I don't know what I'm saying. Forget everything I've just said. You know I can get irrational." She begged

"We have had this same talk at least three times now. You are worried about me. That is understandable. If I quit, we will not have to deal with another night like this. If I quit, I will finally be there for you everyday. Isn't that what you want? That is defiantly what I want." He said

She chuckled at his determination, "Really? You would give up all the battles and excitement to stay here?"

"Of course." he answered

"Won't you miss it? You'll get bored if you stay here all the time." She said

"I know I'll miss it, but if I am miles away from you when you give birth to this baby, I will never forgive myself. I'd look back on this day and wished I had quit. I love you more than I love my job."

She kissed him. What else could she do? He was giving up something he worked so hard for so they could start a family.

"I don't know what to say. I love you? Thank you? I guess you can choose which one you want." She said with a smile

"I'll take both." He replied

She laughed, "I hope our son will be as perfect as you."


End file.
